Welcome Home Mommy

So it is with great joy that I've started this blogspot. It took four months in Iraq to realize that my internet addiction was taking time away from my family. I had a myspace account, and a facebook account, and 3 email accounts, and a spangdahlemyardsales.com account, and photography and foxnews.com, and blogspots of others that I followed on a daily basis. . . I can admit that I was selfish (heck, I've spent the greater part of this evening telling the girls to go play so I could get this up and running!) But it's for their benefit. Once I get the blog going, then I can rest knowing that friends and family back home will stay up to date with pictures and stories... and then I only have ONE account to check daily rather than 100 :)

So my first post is about my homecoming. On May 18th, I set sail on my first combat tour in Iraq. I can say without hesitation that I'm glad that I went. Yep, it was the worst 4 months of my life... living in a one room "pod" with no kitchen or bathroom. Having to get fully dressed at 3am to walk a block to take a dump and hike back, hoping mortars wouldn't hit during that time. 120 degree heat, 5 day at a time sandstorms that turned a normally sunny day into life on Mars, the red planet... not to mention, that growing absence in my soul... my two girls and Nico miles away in Germany :(

I counted down every second to finishing. Coming home this time would be the first time in almost 10 years that I'd return home to my FAMILY. No more walking through an airport watching other people receive hugs and tears... This was my day :)

So after days of delayed flights, and cancellations and undeniable heat in the middle of the desert... our plane touched down in Germany. 2 more hours through customs and inprocessing and then there they were :) All smiles and joyous hugs. Man - life is good. I've been home since Sunday, Sept 27th and I can honestly say that there's no place I'd rather be. HOME.

(PRE footnote - Nico isn't in any of these pictures because he's the one taking them hehehe.)

Goofing off while waiting -


Showing some support -


Mommy's almost here! -


The Big Doors are Opened -


HERE COMES MOMMY!! -


Ava's Trying to Remember -


Ahhh... My Girls! Finally Together Again! -